Client:
Brad,?ÿ
Good afternoon. I was checking to see if you had any updates on our survey. If you can, please let me know if there's anything I can do to help speed up the process.
Thanks,?ÿ
Client
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Me:
Yes sir, I spent yesterday afternoon downloading deeds, plats, and surveys from the recorder??s office. ?ÿToday, and this weekend I plan to comb through all those pages and pages of documents to prepare for my initial field visit (hopefully yet next week).
All while dealing with the effects of a tiny tick bite. ?ÿI will spare you the details. ?ÿSuffice to say, I am hopefully on the upswing health wise.
The best you can do to ??speed up the process?, is to not try to speed up the process.
Thanks,
Brad
Client, "I'll even hold the pole for you".
I have a similar thing going on right now.?ÿ Client sits on plans for 4 long and tall retaining walls.?ÿ Call comes in on Wednesday of last week to have a zoom meeting regarding layout needs.?ÿ Thursday morning the zooms meeting takes placed and starts blowing up my email asking if the layout is on the schedule for Monday.?ÿ I advise that it is highly unlikely.?ÿ Client requests design changes followed by another email asking if the layout is on the Schedule for Monday when the design changes have yet to be made.
I'm waiting until later this afternoon for more emails to arrive so I can compose a very snarky reply.
@oldpaceri tell them it's $150/he if I do it. $250/he if you help. Sometimes I do let them carry the shovel for free.
You're correct, Julie Andrews will help the OP.
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Then when you do get the changes and calculate everything, you find that something is wrong or doesn't quite fit, which will require more back and forth. ALL by Monday huh? Good luck with that mister client.
4am: Ring ring.......
Client:
"I forgot to tell you yesterday that I have concrete being delivered this morning but have no marks for the form boards. Can you come and set them out before you see your other clients?"
My boss:
"I don't care how you do it, just make it happen. And don't you dare sleep with your phone off."
It was always the same guy. None of my other clients did it to me.
@micheal-daubyn-2 can??t bring myself to click the like button.
My favorite, when I worked for the large firm, was the client who absolutely had to have a new building staked the next day, Saturday. I arranged for the crew, drove over and picked up the plans, and set everything up for the crew.?ÿ
Several days later client calls, sounding sheepish: I gave you the wrong plans.
True!
@micheal-daubyn-2 Any ring before 9 AM goes unanswered unless it's from one of my field crews that start at 7.
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Things can change when you are your own boss.?ÿ Sometimes I don't even turn my phone on until nearly noon.?ÿ We are still so overloaded with work I don't need to spend time telling whomever it may be that they are SOL with most everybody within easy driving distance of their "need it yesterday" project.?ÿ Those who know me well, know I will do my best to take care of them while others get to the end of the line.
Just got over one. Staking addition for next days work. Get a call, its not right, off by a half foot. Check my stuff and it looks good. run down and find that I staked from a previous set plans. Didn't get the new ones. Not only that the contractor realized it and had it corrected when I got there. Lost the morning and had to give them a break on the bill. I don't work for them anymore.
?ÿhad to give them a break on the bill. I don't work for them anymore.
If you staked what they sent you, why reduce the bill? Maybe to keep a good client, but not if you don't want to keep them.
Client: How much to survey my lot?
Me: I'm estimating about $1500.
Client: Wow, that's a lot! How about if I help?
Me: Oh, well, if you help, then I'd estimate about $3,000!
- Client: what is your schedule?
- Me: schedule? I can't predict how long it will take to do anything I do. If absolutely everything I'm planning goes right for the first time in history, and if the weather stays clear, then I have no honest idea when I have the completion of your survey scheduled. And yes I will call you two hours before I know I'm gonna be there so you can help.?ÿ
It sounds like we are all in the same boat.?ÿ ?ÿI'm at the point where I'm ready to give up.?ÿ It doesn't matter what I do, I'm pissing of some body.?ÿ I have tried to set my schedule and complete by dates far enough out to meet the schedule.?ÿ But still can't meet them.?ÿ Either it rains, my guys call out, my new chief doesn't finish in the expected time, his location is missing info and is so out of wack it take me three times as long to figure out and draw.?ÿ And I'm still working on a Saturday till 4:30 am Sunday after needing to drive an hour Saturday evening to take pictures and?ÿ figure out what my new $25/HR with paid health care, vaca, holiday,?ÿ crew chief with 10 years experience, located and didn't locate.?ÿ
I mean hell I'm ready to just give up and get a corporate LS job.?ÿ I have tried training, he did great in parking lots but if the woods were too "woody"?ÿ I had to go out to get it done while he watched.?ÿ ?ÿ
My Iman is a 19yr who has come along way with my training but is in no way ready to for any responsibility other than running the gun and typing the codes.?ÿI can trust him when I'm in field but only do to constantly checking and calling out exact codes.?ÿ?ÿ
But after two weeks of him with the "chief"?ÿ I see nothing we have done the past 3 months has sunk in.?ÿ?ÿ
I am lost.?ÿ I can't do all the field work and drafting and run the business and all that entails.?ÿ And make my clients happy, my wife happy or myself happy.?ÿ
I am about done.?ÿ?ÿ
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Only a PLS could turn enormous demand for their services into a stressor.?ÿ Here's how I've been dealing with the workload:
Client: I need a survey and no one can get to it for three months.
Me:?ÿ I can become available in two months but I may be the most expensive surveyor in the county.
Client:?ÿ How much are we talking?
Me: If you're asking that question, you probably can't afford me.
Client: No, I have to get it done or I'll lose out on the option to buy.
Me: Okay then, provide my some more details and your contact info and I'll send you an estimate.
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I'm not sure if it is the confidence I try to exude or the appearance of exclusivity, but I'm bringing in much more money and not working more hours.?ÿ
Instead of stressing-out, just double or even triple your rates.
@murphy my problem isn't rates my fees are in line with most operations of my size.?ÿ About two months ago I priced 7 projects for new client at higher than usual rates for the same projects with existing clients asked him to let me know if agreeable and how to proceed.?ÿ Didn't hear back until I delivered a project a month late and he asked when he could expect the 7 jobs I price 6 weeks prior.?ÿ I said I never heard back regarding my fees and he said I sent them to you it meant you had them.?ÿ So now I have 7 jobs already perceived to be 6 weeks behind that I haven't scheduled. And thats the story of my life nowadays.?ÿ I have about 30k in AR in the last 3 weeks and haven't had the time to figure what I have waiting to be done.?ÿ I love having the work but hate the constant barrage of emails and calls wondering about the delivery.?ÿ And feeling like I'm letting them down.
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